With Spring just around the corner, many of us start to think about how we can lighten our diet and give our bodies a rest from all the heavier foods of winter.   But just as many of us are starting to get into our stride, along comes Easter with all its chocolate temptations.  As a vegan, Easter can be particularly challenging, so here are three easy ways to help you through:

Vegan on Female First

Vegan on Female First

CHOCS AWAY!

Don’t give up the chocolate!  There are plenty of delicious ways to enjoy chocolate, without it including all the dairy and sugar that we know make all those Easter Eggs such a bad way to indulge.  Raw cacao is loaded with vitamins and minerals that are essential to our well-being – and did you know that craving chocolate is often a sign that we are mineral deficient?  So indulge in raw and 85% dark chocolate guilt free.   Check out the totally sublime Pruv.co.uk recipe for Rose, Cardamom and Sea Salt Chocolate Bark made with coconut butter and raw cacao.  It’s not only a wonderful vegan option, but would also make a perfect home-made Easter gift.

As an alternative or for a dessert, try these wonderful triple chocolate brownies: http://pruv.co.uk/recipes/triple-chocolate-flourless-brownies-yum/

SAY PLEASE TO “CHEESE”

If you want something cheesy, check out this amazing recipe for Cashew Nut Cheeze that works in so many ways and on so many levels – as a dip, a spread or even a Vegan Cheese Sauce (think Vegetable Lasagne).

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cashews, soaked for at least 6 hours
  • 2 cloves garlic, slightly crushed
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 heaped tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • Water – for a cream cheese texture, you will need approx 2 tablespoons, for a dip, add more water to reach the consistency you prefer.
  • 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
  • salt to taste
  • herbs and flavourings of your choice eg capers and dill, chives (the perfect dip), tarragon and lemon zest, parsley, coriander ..

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients, except the herbs, into your food processor or high speed blender.
  2. Whizz until combined and a smooth, even consistency is achieved.  Add more water as necessary to get the consistency you prefer.
  3. Add the chopped herbs and flavourings of your choice and either stir in by hand or pulse to combine.

FEEDING FRIENDS AND FAMILY

For main courses, don’t forget easy swaps you can make (especially if you are entertaining non vegans).  For example, just swap out the 500g of minced beef or lamb that you would use in your favourite bolognaise sauce, chilli con carne or shepherd’s pie recipe with a tin of puy lentils.  It’s as simple as that.  You get all the benefit of that extra fibre and minerals, none of the fat and a whole heap of flavour.  And the non vegans will harldy notice the difference!

Fran McElwaine is a wellness expert and founder of Prϋv Health & Wellness a fantastic online resource for the healthy foodie.  As an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, she takes a holistic approach to understanding how the food we eat affects the way we feel. 

Fran works with her clients to help them manage weight, balance hormones and boost their immune systems.  She does not advocate any particular way of eating, but co-creates bespoke nutrition programmes for her clients designed with their own specific health goals and requirements in mind.  You can discover more about Fran, her approach to health and a whole host of interesting recipes by visiting pruv.co.uk. 

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